Which one would you pick?
Hello everybody, how are you doing? I plan to live in Thailand for at least 1 year (Education Visa + tourist visa), so I’ve started looking for long-term rentals on websites like ddproperty and hipflat (I found it particularly on the expensive side), next on the list are Facebook groups as most people recommend them because you can talk directly to reputable agents and they seem to offer the best prices all-around. From what I understand Airbnb is a big no for most people due to issues with landlords and the company charging ridiculous fees for rentals. Am I getting it right so far?
So, talking about budget: I’d like to keep my expenses between 40-50k THB/month because I’m saving as much money as possible since a while ago. About me:
* I live frugally and at most go out once a week
* I don’t party at all and prefer home cooked meals
* Having access to a decent gym and sauna is important to me
* I work from home so a reliable WiFi and AC are a must
* Need to be somewhat close to BTS/MRT
* Somewhat quiet neighborhood is important so I can sleep decently
* I need to live close to stores/supermarket, 5-10mins by foot
What do you think of this list for monthly expenses (on average)?
* Rent + bills 11-15k – studio/1br fully furnished and renovated apartment/condo
* Food 10k – I like to eat plenty of red meat
* Transportation 5k
* Entertainment 3k
* Gym (sauna included?) 2k
* Health insurance (?) – I got World Nomads health insurance last time and I can’t recall how much it was
* **Am I missing anything?**
Based on other people experiences, it seems that it’s a safer bet to stay at a hotel for like 2 weeks and go apartment/condo hunting, is that a good plan?
I kindly ask for veterans’ advice and tips. Thanks for reading!
Btw, the Education Visa can be provided by a Thai language school, right? I mean a legit one, I wanna be able to speak it little bit.
**Edit – I should have mentioned that I visited Thailand before COVID and spent 28 days in the country. I’m well aware how both cities are, their pros and cons, but long-term stays are a totally different game. Tbh I would feel comfortable living in either, because I spent most of my life in Rio de Janeiro and 5+ years in the countryside (close to a bigger city).**
:)
